The present invention relates generally to lamp operating devices and respectively systems and methods by means of which luminous means such as, for example, light emitting diodes or luminescence diodes (LEDs) can be operated. However, the invention relates in particular to retrofit LED lamps, that is to say LED lamps which, with regard to their mechanical and electrical connections, are configured as a replacement for incandescent lamps or halogen lamps.
“LED” should also be understood to include “OLED” throughout.
In order to realize larger and convenient lighting systems it is already known that lamp operating devices can be driven by the communication of external control commands. This external predefinition makes it possible, for example, to control the brightness of a light source operated by the lamp operating device.
The published patent application DE 102 30 103 A1 discloses an LED light module, for example, which has an arrangement of a number of series-connected LEDs, said arrangement being fed with AC current. Said LEDs are applied as so-called LED dice on a printed circuit board using a chip-on-board (COB) technology. The thermally conductive, ceramic printed circuit board of the LED lighting module is directly supplied with power by the power supply system. Furthermore, the LEDs of said module are dimmable, wherein driving via a microcontroller connected to a bus is proposed for dimming the brightness of the photon radiation emitted by said LEDs.
On account of their power-saving properties, in particular, LEDs are increasingly being used in luminous means or so-called retrofit LED lamp which can replace the traditional incandescent filament bulbs. In order that such luminous means can replace incandescent lamps in the first place, it is necessary that the design of the luminous means substantially still remains as in traditional incandescent filament bulbs, and accordingly still has a standardized base. Such a base relates, for example, to a so-called Edison base with standardized thread identifier E27, E40 or the like. The conventional lampholder is a standardized lampholder. The E14, E11 or E27 screw threads may be mentioned as further examples. Alternatively, a lampholder designed for a low-voltage connection is also conceivable, such as a G4, G5 or G6 holder. A BA9 or BA15 bayonet holder is also conceivable.
The same applies to LED lamps configured as a replacement for halogen luminous means.
With the use of LEDs in luminous means with an incandescent lamp base, however, the possibility of external driving via a bus, as disclosed in the published patent application DE 102 30 103 A1, is no longer afforded. In actual fact, an incandescent lamp base only has two electrical contacts. These are firstly the external contact of the lampholder and furthermore the base contact of the base for producing the electrical contact.
FIG. 1 shows a circuit arrangement with an AC voltage 7 or power supply system voltage made available between two contacts 5, 6. A first series line leads from the first contact 5 to a switch or dimmer 1 and furthermore to a first electrical contact 3 of a holder 2 for an incandescent lamp and furthermore to a first electrical contact 23 of an incandescent lamp 8. The incandescent lamp 8 has a standardized base, an incandescent element, the first electrical contact 23 to the holder 2 for the incandescent lamp and a second electrical contact 24, which is led via the holder 2 to the second contact 6 of the AC voltage 7. The ensemble of holder 2 for the incandescent lamp and incandescent lamp 8 is designated by the reference sign 10.
FIG. 2 shows a luminous means in the form of a retrofit LED lamp 9 having the standardized incandescent lamp base and LEDs instead of an incandescent filament. The retrofit LED lamp 9 mounted in the holder 2 is designated by the reference sign 11. As can be discerned, a control unit of the luminous means 11 cannot receive data or commands via an additional bus, since the base or the holder does not afford a corresponding connection possibility.